I’m going on a walking pilgrimage in Scotland next month, and I’ve been
reading Richard Rohr’s reflections about pilgrimage. “Pilgrims move in two
directions at the same time – an outward direction toward a holy destination
and an inward journey seeking an encounter with the sacred. Embarking on
such a journey, we become untethered not just from our physical normalcy.
These uncertain, trusting steps also move us out of our spiritual familiarity.
The pilgrim is invited not only to walk out of boxes of dogmatic beliefs, but
also to walk away from practices of comfortable spirituality.”
I’m preparing for the pilgrimage by walking, breaking in hiking boots, finding
raingear, and getting a new passport… that seems like the easy stuff. Rohr
writes, “The embodied movement of pilgrimage is an opportunity to step
outside our habitual rhythms with God” and I’m wondering what that will be
like and what it will ask of me. I’m excited and apprehensive in equal
measure, trusting the call of the Holy Spirit to follow where She leads. I’m
grateful beyond words to have this opportunity and ask for your prayers. I
leave on May 14, and on Sunday, May 7, Rev. Doug Monroe will be here in
worship to offer a Celtic blessing for us all. If you’re interested in St.
Cuthbert’s Way, below is some information.
In faith, Marylee
St. Cuthbert’s Way is a 62 mile walk through the English-Scottish
borderlands. Cuthbert, a 7th Century monk and bishop, was known for his
tireless travels throughout Northumbria, bringing the good news of Jesus as
he worked with the poor and the sick. The walk takes us from Melrose,
where Cuthbert began his religious life, to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne,
where he died. We will pace our walk over seven days traveling through
meadows and forests, across streams and hills, past villages and long
abandoned castles. Along the way we will have the opportunity to reflect on
our own life pilgrimage, sometimes walking alone, sometimes alongside
companions. As we rest and recharge each night, we will reflect together on
how walking in the footsteps of Cuthbert is impacting our call to bring Good
News and healing to this beautiful planet. From Lindisfarne, we will travel to
Durham, site of a magnificent cathedral and resting place of St. Cuthbert,
then to Glasgow, a center of Scottish culture and industry. From Glasgow we
will travel to the island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland. Iona is the
birthplace of Celtic Christianity, where St. Columba arrived from Ireland in
563 and established a monastery.